I started the day off by visiting with the company that is turning out Windows Mobile devices like Sony did with Palm OS devices a few years back: HTC.

The HTC Artemis feels great in your hand

PepperPad3I then wandered the Sands Expo floor a bit and checked out the PepperPad3 and really like the hardware. I was able to type pretty well on it and it looks like a nice semi-portable media center device. I think the price may be a bit high at US$699, though, with devices like the Nokia N800 (see our earlier coverage) and even UMPC devices.

PepperPad3

I saw lots of foreign vendors, cables, accessories, and other products from smaller vendors, but didn't spend too much time on this floor. I did stop and chat with Spotwave (Joel is working on a review of the system) about its system, which is designed to improve the wireless carrier signal strength in your home. The company announced a special CES price of $299 (normally $399) that is good until January 31.

SkypeI was planning to go over to the Las Vegas Convention Center for lunch, but then saw that Skype was holding a press conference. Since I use Skype for our MobileTechRoundup podcast I wanted to see what the company was announcing.

The reps started off by stating that there are 136 millions users currently signed up for Skype. Skype has a new feature where links in Internet Explorer will allow users to click to call. Skype Unlimited allows you to make Skype Out calls without limit for only $29.95 per year, which is half-price ($14.95) until January 31. Then Netgear and Philips showed off VoIP phones that combine normal landline service and Skype service in a single handset.

I have been looking at ways to reduce my monthly fees, and now with the Skype Unlimited option I can replace the $20 a month I pay for long distance service and use Skype Unlimited instead at a price of less than a single month of standard landline service. I can also reduce my home phone service from $30 down to a basic landline and save even more money. With one of these combo phones I don't see why people would even look at other VoIP services. Am I missing something here?

OQO Model O2 After sitting on a shuttle bus for 30 minutes to go 1.5 miles, I finally arrived at the Lunch at Pieros event, where I actually never even ate any lunch since I wanted to talk with people instead. I was able to get lots more hands-on time with the OQO Model O2 and learned:

the keyboard has a nice backlight

there are two touch-sensitive scroll areas on the lower right side of the display

the device has HDMI output and VGA output, so you could actually run two external monitors at once

there is a cool cradle option available

Vista runs quite well on it

The more I see it, the more I have the urge to go out and pay $2,000 for one.

Six Apart's Vox blogI spoke with Six Apart about its new, free Vox blog service, and it looks like a great way to post content and/or aggregate your Flickr and YouTube videos into a single page for people to visit and enjoy. I opened up an account and will have to explore it more when I get some time. There are clients for S60, Windows Mobile, and Palm to upload content directly from your device.

TalkPlusI had a call with the TalkPlus president about a month ago and then installed and used the beta on my T-Mobile Dash for a short time. Then I got busy and forgot about using the service. However, after talking with the reps directly and seeing what the service can actually do for you, I am re-energized and will be working on a more complete review of the service.

Some of the more compelling features are the extensive voicemail management system, the ability to have your phone numbers all go to a single number using certain rules, the ability to listen to your voicemail via a Web interface, and much more.

OpenMoko Linux phoneI chatted with a guy from OpenMoko, which is getting ready to release an unlocked GSM, Linux, Open Source mobile phone, the OpenMoko, maybe in a month or so. The reps did not have any working models on the floor, but the specs looks pretty good for $350. The final specs may change, but they currently include a 2.8-inch (480×640) VGA display, global locate AGPS chip, GPRS (not EDGE), touchscreen interface, microSD slot, two hardware buttons, 1200 mAh battery, 128 MB RAM, and 64 MB NAND flash. The phone will come pre-installed with some software (dialer, contacts, calendar, and application manager), but the rest is up to you to customize from the Open Source community.

OpenMoko in all its glory

Showstoppers eventShowstoppers took place around dinner time, and I was able to swing by and chat with Trolltech (about the Qtopia Greenphone), Otterbox rugged cases, eSnips community site, and ZING regarding its very cool software on the Sansa Connect Wireless Internet MP3 Player. This WiFi-enabled MP3 player goes where the Zune should have gone, with real community sharing and interaction. Check out the press release for all the details and if you get a chance you should check this player out. I may have to get one and connect it with my Yahoo Music! subscription service.

I chatted with a few other companies and then took off for a dinner meeting with Neuros Technology (check out the details).

USER COMMENTS 4 comment(s)

iphone(1:17pm EST Tue Jan 09 2007)What about the Iphone? It was announced by steve jobs in his keynote speech today… - by littlerichie29

Yeah it's called Vonage(3:26pm EST Tue Jan 09 2007)“I have been looking at ways to reduce my monthly fees, and now with the Skype Unlimited option I can replace the $20 a month I pay for long distance service and use Skype Unlimited instead at a price of less than a single month of standard landline service. I can also reduce my home phone service from $30 down to a basic landline and save even more money. With one of these combo phones I don't see why people would even look at other VoIP services. Am I missing something here?”

Yeah it's called Vonage for $24.99 a month. I don't even have a landline anymore and I have unlimited long distance. Why pay for a landline AND a VOIP service?…. - by Brian_esser

Isn't this Skype option MUCH cheaper(4:05pm EST Wed Jan 10 2007)My next step was to research Vonage and others to see how much they cost, but isn't paying $14.99 (regularly $30) a YEAR a much better option with a combo Skype or dedicated Skype phone in your house? What makes Vonage and others better than the Skype option with the free, unlimited Skype out calls? - by palmsolo